New cockroach species discovered in Singapore named after Pokémon: Nocticola pheromosa

This new species, along with the other Nocticola species, shares features with Pheromosa such as their elongated appendages, reduced coloration and fast speed. (The Nocticola species’ ‘fast speed’, in particular, reflects the speedy game moves of Pheromosa very well!)

This delicate cockroach is the first record for Singapore, and it falls under the family Nocticolidae which has only 32 species known to date. It was collected during an insect survey in 2016 at a nature reserve to uncover the diversity of insects in Singapore. While the exterior of Nocticola pheromosa resembled that of a known species (Nocticola adebratti), it was through dissection of the male specimen’s genitalia that it was found to be a species new to science.